The Springfield Jr. Blues sat dormant during the 2020-21 NAHL season due to the ongoing pandemic.

That won’t be the case in 2021-22 as the Jr. Blues have been on the recruiting trail and signing prospective players for next fall.

One recent signee was Carbondale native Fisher Scott, a 2004-born defenseman who grew up playing in Aspen before making the jump to AAA the past couple seasons with the Colorado Thunderbirds.

“A few weeks back, I started talking to Springfield a bit,” Scott said. “We talked back and forth for some time and then just after USA Hockey Nationals, they offered me a tender with them. It was pretty cool and exciting for me and my family.

“Springfield appealed to me because of its connection with Dubuque (Scott was drafted by the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2020). They are only a few hours away from each other, so it was really a no-brainer. Also just the people in the organization seemed great and it seems like a great fit if that is where I go.”

Carter Cloutier, another Colorado native, has also signed with the Jr. Blues for the 2021-22 season.

“Me and him played against each other way back in the day, I remember, but I don’t know him personally yet,” Scott said. “I can’t wait to play juniors. Just the whole experience seems amazing. Great hockey, living in small towns, playing all over the place, road trips, it just seems like a blast and I can’t wait to get going wherever it may be.”

Scott explained that he started playing hockey when he was just three years old.

“My dad put me in skates on a little rink by our house back home and I just picked it up pretty quick,” said Scott. “From there on, I just kept on going and things went well.

“Over the years, I have had a ton of great coaches and role models. Coach Yale, Coach Krivo, Coach Hedjuk, and most recently Coach Clarkson have all thought me so much. Each coach taught me a lot of new things, both on and off the ice, so I’m just super thankful for all of them. But again, throughout the journey, many important people have believed in me and helped me get to where I am.”

This past season, the Thunderbirds’ 16U AAA team advanced to the national championship game, ultimately falling to the New Jersey Avalanche earlier this month.

“The season was the best year of my life,” Scott said. “We started out tight from the beginning but over the year, we all just became so close. By nationals, it was like we would all do anything for the guy next to us. That played a huge role in how far we got in nationals, I think. We all just wanted it so bad for ourselves and the guys next to us. Obviously, losing in the championship game was really hard, but we came so far, and we showed a lot of people what we could do as a group, so that was really special.”

Now with the offseason here, Scott is prepared to keep working.

“For now, I want to just keep improving this summer and really keep working hard,” he said. “Wherever I may be next year, I can’t wait, whether it is Dubuque or Springfield. Super excited for whatever is to come. And eventually I want to play NCAA Division I college hockey and get a degree. The NHL is the dream, of course, so I will keep working every day to get as far as I can.”

— Matt Mackinder

(May 20, 2021)